Friday, June 26, 2009

My mom was a farm girl, and so growing up we always had a big garden. Now every spring I have an incredible urge to make a garden, and I hope to give Adelaide a green thumb (and heart!) just like my mom gave to me.

So far, I've never had a big yard to make a big garden of my very own - although I have books with tagged pages, notebooks of sketches, and a folder full of snippets of inspirations. One day, I shall make the garden that I have been dreaming of for so very long. But until then, I have been making do each year with a potted garden, whether it be on a balcony or just a tiny window ledge. And I am constantly amazed at just how many wonderful treats can come from a few pots.

This year, We have perhaps 7 or 8 pots of all sizes dedicated to our bellies. They are overflowing with strawberries and blueberries, romaine, leaf, and butter Lettuces, and lots of basil, parsely, cilantro, mint, rosemary, and chives. The fragrance is wonderful!

I have also been trying to involved Adelaide in all aspects of growing our little garden - from collecting rocks around the neighbourhood for the bottom of our pots from drainage, to filling them up with soil and planting the seeds, to watching our babies grow, giving them water to drink, and sheltering them with a umbrella when the sun gets much too hot. Every day she runs out to check if there is a strawberry or two for her. I haven't eaten one yet!

And then, the cooking and eating! Together we have been whipping up lots with the snippets collected from our garden: Fresh pastas, Thai curries, our very favourite: Vietnamese Salad Rolls with lots of fresh mint, cilantro, and basil. And fresh Bruschetta made of chopped tomatoes, onions, and lots of basil with freshly grated parmesan, topped on bread grilled on the bbq. Yum!

What would you cook up? Any more ideas for me? For I am running out...

Aw! I Love your garden! I have 6 pots filled with plants, however, with the scorching heat the last couple of days down here in Florida, I am sad to say that I have not been able to save as much of my little garden as I have hoped to. My husband and I love out little mint plant and we add some crushed mint to home made iced tea for a nice little refreshing taste. My husband also likes to make shish kebabs on the BBQ and uses the spine of the rosemary for the skewers. It adds a great flavor to whatever you may be BBQ'ing (just soak the spines in some water first). Happy Cooking!

Hey there! I am a chemist...a grad student to be exact, at SFU :) I found your blog through Christina Crook's blog, and I really enjoy it! I wanted to tell you, as i have a huge love for gardening as well, that there is a beautiful community garden up here at SFU! I have been a part of it for years...if you want to find out more about it, feel free to email me.. jeheinon@sfu.ca I could even take you down there sometime to have a look :) Happy gardening!

With the fresh cilantro, we make our own "salsa" all the time, which is really more of a pico de gallo.

I mix the juice of ~1/2 of a small lime, a fist full cilantro chopped, and one large clove of garlic mashed and minced with a small heap of salt (1/4 - 1/2 tsp.) in a mixing bowl. Then I add ~3-4 cups of diced tomatoes and stir it all together. I adjust afterward for taste. You can add peppers if you like, but we don't anymore because of our daughter...although she's probably ready. :) It's awesome with chips or on tacos...I've put it on grilled salmon. I hope my recipe makes sense! We've done this for years and years and go through amazing amounts, just the three of us.

Also, cilantro lime butter is great on fish. Just chop cilantro, juice part of a lime and mix it in with soft butter. Wrap it in a tube shape in wax paper and refrigerate. Use slices of it on the fish before you cook or grill it.

All that green food looks so good. I have had a garden in the past but couldn't do it this year because we are moving so I tried to do a little in some pots. Mine are not turning out so well. Everything is stunted. I think my thumb is only green if it is in the ground.

M E

Hello! My name is Sharilyn, and together I live with my guy and our sweet girl + baby boy in a hundred-and-two-year-old cottage on the east side of Vancouver, Canada.

Long ago, I began a my own little company called lovelydesign. After many years (with a little luck and a lot of work) my own creations enabled me to make a small living doing what I love to do. But these days I am both a full-time mama and maker, and so I am creating my goods only infrequently.

I keep this blog as a record of all sorts of things which I'd like to try to keep with me for always.